Jobs
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology
Cornell University
The Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology (BSCB) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University seeks candidates for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level. We expect that the successful applicant will focus on developing and applying statistically rigorous methods to large-scale data analysis in population and/or comparative genomics, and will play a central role in the department's program in research and teaching.
Biological Statistics and Computational Biology (BSCB) is dedicated to the application of statistical, computational, and mathematical approaches to problems in modern biology. The department has broad strengths in statistics and computational biology, including comparative, evolutionary, quantitative, and population genomics, Bayesian and computationally intensive statistics, and machine learning. The department occupies a key position at the interface between the quantitative and biological sciences at Cornell and offers rich opportunities for collaborations with other investigators on the Ithaca campus, and at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Some of the research areas with particularly high potential for collaboration include: human genetics, agricultural genomics, canine genomics and other aspects of veterinary medicine, and evolutionary genomics of diverse organisms.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, research statement (2-3 pages), statement of teaching interests (1-2 pages), and a curriculum vitae as well as 3-5 publications of particular relevance by emailing a single PDF file to bscb_search2@cornell.edu (please limit to 15MB). Applicants should also arrange for three letters of recommendation to be submitted directly to the same email address. Questions can be directed to Chip Aquadro, chair of the search committee, at cfa1@cornell.edu. Applications will be reviewed beginning November 15, 2008.
Qualifications: Ph.D. and postdoctoral experience with a demonstrated record of productivity. Training in population genetics and comparative genomics and statistics is expected. Training in computer science as well is ideal but not required.
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Assistant / Associate Professor Faculty Position in Cellular Systems Biology, Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology
Cornell University
Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
A faculty position is available at the assistant / associate professor level in the area of cellular systems biology. The selected candidate will be jointly affiliated with the Department of Biological Statistics and computational Biology (BSCB) and the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology (described below), and must have interests and expertise consistent with both appointments. Applicants should have experience addressing fundamental questions in molecular or cell biology using rigorous, quantitative methods, and should integrate bioinformatic and experimental components in their research. Training in both cell/molecular biology and a quantitative field such as statistics, computer science, or applied mathematics is ideal, but not required. Priority will be given to applicants who are using model systems and joint experimental/computational approaches to elucidate the molecular basis of cellular function, development, and evolution.
Biological Statistics and Computational Biology (BSCB) is a growing department at Cornell dedicated to the application of the statistical, computational, and mathematical sciences to problems in modern biology. BSCB has broad strengths in statistics and computational biology, including comparative, evolutionary, and population genomics, microarray analysis, Bayesian and computationally intensive statistics, survival analysis, and machine learning. BSCB occupies a key position at the interface between the quantitative and biological sciences at Cornell, and plays an important role in Cornell's New Life Sciences Initiative.
As part of its New Life Sciences Initiative, Cornell has recently established and endowed the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology. The Institute will initially consist of 12 faculty members housed in a recently completed $160M building (Weill Hall). It is envisioned to become a vibrant center of scientific excellence in basic biology, which will be closely integrated with strong existing programs in chemistry and chemical biology, physics, computational biology, and engineering. All Institute faculty will be physically located in Weill Hall, but will have full appointments in academic departments, to which they will contribute teaching and service.
Applicants should submit a cover letter indicating why they feel they are a good fit for a position in BSCB and the Weill Institute at Cornell, together with a curriculum vitae (highlighting 3-5 publications with title and abstract), a research plan (2-3 pages), and a statement of teaching interests. All materials should be submitted electronically, by emailing a single PDF file to bscb_search@cornell.edu (please limit to 15MB). Applicants should also arrange for three letters of recommendation to be submitted to the same email address concurrent with the other application materials. Applications will be reviewed beginning November 1, 2008.
Required Qualifications: Ph.D. and relevant postdoctoral experience. Training in both cell/molecular biology and a quantitative field such as statistics, computer science, or applied mathematics is ideal but not required.
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Post Doctoral Associate - Statistics
Giles Hooker and Stephen Ellner are offering a postdoctoral position in nonlinear time series analysis of continuous-time ecological dynamics in the Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology at Cornell University, beginning between September 2008 and January 2009. The position will be funded at a competitive salary for one year initially, with possible funding for a further 1.5 years.
We are looking for a recent PhD graduate to develop methods for inferring the presence and nature of evolutionary dynamics in ecosystems, from data at the total-population level. In statistical terms the project concerns methods for fitting continuous-time state space models with possibly time-varying parameters, and it will involve close collaboration with experimental ecologists at Cornell studying aquatic predator-prey microcosms.
Requirements for the position include (1) a Ph.D. in statistics or related field, (2) demonstrated experience with mathematical statistics or nonlinear dynamics, an (3) demonstrated computer programming experience. Statisticians interested in gaining experience with ecological applications and ecologists with strong mathematical skills are especially encouraged to apply. Interested candidates should contact us directly (Giles Hooker, gjh27@cornell.edu; Stephen Ellner, spe2@cornell.edu) with a brief statement of your background and interests, attaching your CV and providing contact information for 2 persons who could provide letters of reference.
Representative publications from this research:
Ramsay, J., G. Hooker, D. Campbell, J. Cao. 2007. Parameter estimation for differential equations: a generalized smoothing approach. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society B 69:741770.
Yoshida, T., S.P. Ellner, L.E. Jones, B.J.M. Bohannan, R.E. Lenski, N.G. Hairston, Jr. 2007. Cryptic population dynamics: rapid evolution masks trophic interactions. PLOS Biology 5: 1868-1879.
T. Yoshida, L.E. Jones, S.P. Ellner, G.F. Fussmann, and N. G. Hairston, Jr. 2003. Rapid evolution drives ecological dynamics in a predator-prey system. Nature 424: 303-306.
S.P. Ellner, Y. Seifu, and Robert H. Smith. 2002. Fitting population models to time series data by gradient matching. Ecology 83: 2256-2270.
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Post Doctoral Associates - Genomics
Two postdoctoral positions in microbial evolutionary genomics at Cornell University
CANDIDATES ARE INVITED TO APPLY for two post-doctoral positions at Cornell University, both supported by a new 5-year NIH grant entitled, ''Evolutionary genomics and population genetics of pathogenic streptococci.'' One position will be in the laboratory of Michael Stanhope and the other will be jointly supervised by Adam Siepel and Carlos Bustamante. The Stanhope, Siepel, and Bustamante laboratories will interact closely with each other and with the laboratory of Robert Burne, a collaborator at the University of Florida, in meeting the goals of this research project.
The bacterial genus Streptococcus includes several important human pathogens. The goal of this project is to obtain a thorough understanding of the adaptive genomic differences within and between the taxa of this genus. The project will involve the latest DNA sequencing technologies and state-of-the-art methods for detecting selection in both genes and noncoding functional elements. It is expected to provide an unprecedented level of detail on molecular adaptation and molecular evolution for taxa of this genus. It will also provide the first thorough assessment of the role of lateral gene transfer (LGT) and positive selection in the diversification of a group of closely related bacterial taxa, as well as an improved understanding of the role of LGT in bacterial species innovation and pathogenesis.
A description of each of the postdoctoral positions follows:
Laboratory of M. Stanhope: We are looking for an evolutionary computational biologist, well versed in modern evolutionary biology theory, and computational analysis, with some basic bioinformatics skills such as R and Perl programming. An added bonus would be knowledge of basic microbiology issues. One of the principal roles of this person would be to conduct comparative evolutionary analysis of the bacterial genome sequence data that we are generating using new high throughput sequencing technologies such as 454, Solexa, and OpGen, both at the intraspecific and interspecific levels. In addition to these analyses, this individual would need to collate and assemble the new genome sequence data, as well as assist in guiding some of the wet lab work associated with genome closing of select strains. Salary and benefits will be competitive, as well as commensurate with the candidate's level of expertise and value to the laboratory.
Laboratories of A. Siepel and C. Bustamante: We seek a computational biologist experienced in evolutionary genomics and/or population genetics who will focus on the development of novel analytical methods. Areas of particular interest include methods for detecting noncoding functional elements, improved methods for detecting positive selection, methods for characterizing LGT, combined phylogenetic and population genetic methods for detecting selection, and improved methods for detecting selection in the presence of changing population sizes. The candidate will be encouraged to develop broadly applicable methods, but to give special consideration to the unique opportunities presented by the rich data generated in this project. While methods development will be a major focus, the candidate will also be expected to participate in data analysis and infrastructure development. The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, highly motivated, and independent, will have both a serious interest in molecular biology and genetics and first-rate skills in mathematics and computing, and will have a strong record of accomplishment in research. For more information about the Siepel and Bustamante labs see:
http://compgen.bscb.cornell.edu/~acs/
and
http://bustamantelab.cb.bscb.cornell.edu/
Salary and Benefits
Competitive salaries commensurate with experience and skills will be offered, and full benefits plans are available (details).
About Cornell
Cornell is home to a large, active community of researchers interested in evolutionary genomics, population genetics, and other areas of mathematical and computational biology. It is located in Ithaca, NY, a small city with a diverse community, a rich cultural life, and many opportunities for outdoor recreation. General information on postdoc life at Cornell is available from the Office of Postdoctoral Studies.
To Apply
Submit (PDFs preferred) a CV, a short (one-two page) description of research interests and experience, and contact information for three references by e-mail to mjs297 at cornell dot edu (Stanhope position) or acs4 at cornell dot edu and cdb28 at cornell dot edu (Siepel/Bustamante position). Informal inquiries are welcome.
Michael Stanhope
Adam Siepel
Carlos Bustamante
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
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Cornell University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator.